Parental Advice
by Schwester Aurelia
Summary: Edward is afflicted by doubts about the right way to handle his naughty daughter Renesmee. Bella suggests a chat with his father Carlisle... Set after Breaking Dawn. WARNING: Contains the talking about spanking  but not the action .


_Hi guys! This is my first Twilight fanfiction and also the first one which was inspired by another fanfiction author._

_The idea to this story occurred to me after I read the great fanfic "The Love of a Father" by the fabulous writer "reading is my addiction". You can find it here: _

_www __[dot] fanfiction [dot] net/s/5201206/1/The_Love_of_a_Father_

_Perhaps it's wise to read it first so you know what happened before this little sequel. This story takes place right after the end of "The Love of a Father"._

_There are also some events mentioned that take place in another great story by reading, "Shattering Patience", which you can read here: _

_www [dot] __fanfiction [dot] net/s/5647138/1/Shattering_Patience_

_Probably this story is understandable even without the background, but these are both great stories so you should check them out! ^_~_

_All characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer._

_Thank you, dear reading, for your inspiration and suggestions! ^_^_

_**WARNING**__: This story contains the talking about corporal punishment i.e. spankings. Not the actual action, though. If you don't like it, please don't read and don't flame. Thank you!_

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><p><span>Parental Advice<span>

"Edward?"

"Mhm?"

"What are you thinking?"

Edward smiled involuntarily. Normally he'd be the one to ask this question. Then he sighed as he turned over to face Bella. "Well..."

"Is it still Nessie?" she asked softly and brushed a strand of hair away from his face.

He nodded, not looking up.

"Oh darling, she is fine. She's laying snugly in her little bed, dreaming sweet dreams. Tomorrow she will wake up as a wiser child. Honestly – you've no reason to feel guilty."

He sighed again.

"I know we agreed on this and she had to learn the lesson, but still..."

"Mhm?"

"Well, it's just... the look on her face... and the thoughts she showed you ... and her heartbreaking sobs – it kills me! I hate even the thought that anything could cause pain to my little angel and yet I was the one to hurt her!"

Bella gently pulled her husband into a tight embrace and caressed his back reassuringly.

"Honey, I know... Shh, it'll all be fine..." she whispered softly in his hair. It seemed to work, and after a while Edward had composed himself again.

"You know – a thought just occurred to me."

Edward looked at her curiously. Bella bit her lip, she was a bit unsure about this. "What if... you went and talked about all this with Carlisle?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed in surprise as his face lit up with hope. "You know... that might be a really good idea, Bella."

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><p>Edward softly knocked on the wooden door.<p>

"Carlisle?"

"Come in, Edward!"

Edward stepped in and carefully closed the door behind himself.

"How can I help you, my son?" asked Carlisle, obviously pleased by the visit.

Edward nervously shuffled his feet. This was really quite embarrassing.

"Well, there's something I'd like to ask you... but it's rather hard to talk about it..."

Seeing his struggle, Carlisle rose from his seat behind the desk and came over to his son, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You know you can tell me anything Edward. There's nothing to worry about. Why don't we have a seat over here?" He said, gently guiding his son over to the black leather couch. Edward fought with the words for a while but then it all came bursting out of him: How Nessie had been pushing the limits in the past weeks, how upset they had been with her running away, Bella's suggestion, and the horrible feeling of guilt when he thought about the sobs of his sweet little angel.

Carlisle had pulled him into an embrace during his outburst and caressed his back soothingly. When Edward was finished, he gently pushed him away to look into his face and smiled at him.

"There you are, my boy... that's how it feels to be a father."

"But it feels awful! I don't want to hurt her!"

Carlisle chuckled. "No one said it would be easy. Of course it's not nice when you have to discipline your child. But sometimes it's necessary and you know that. Don't you?"

Edward nodded reluctantly. "Well, yes, but..."

"Mhm?"

"It still feels awful."

Carlisle gave him another reassuring hug. "It does."

For a while they just sat there in silence. Then Carlisle spoke again.

"Edward, I'd like to ask you something. Do you remember the first time I had to punish you this way?"

Edward winced at the memory and nodded.

"Weren't you quite angry with me at first?"

"Oh Carlisle, but only for one second! As soon as I saw how much I had hurt you with my words, I only felt remorse and guilt. I still can't believe I could ever be so cruel to you."

Carlisle smiled. "You've been long ago forgiven, my dear boy. But after your punishment, did you feel angry or like you were treated unjustly?"

Edward shook his head vehemently. "Not at all. I was only sorry that I'd been such a nuisance before and I was overwhelmed with relief to find you didn't reject me."

Carlisle lovingly stroke back a strand of Edwards hair. "And why was this so important to you?"

Had it been possible, Edward would have blushed now. As matters stood, he just looked down at his lap and mumbled: "Carlisle... you are my father in every sense that matters. Your love means the world to me and I have no idea how I could stand being rejected by you."

Carlisle pulled his son into another tight embrace and placed a kiss in his forehead. "Thank you, Edward. I'm never going to reject you, no matter what might happen or what you do. I'm very glad and thankful to have you as my son. I just asked you this to point out one thing... If you feel this way – don't you think it might be possible your little angel might feel similarly?"

Comprehension struck Edward like a lightning. This could be true... Carlisle could actually be right!

Encouraged by the look on Edwards face, Carlisle continued: "Edward, Nessie loves you. She knows you only want the best for her and that you are not a cruel man. She learned an important lesson today and hopefully she won't need a reminder anytime soon."

Edward grimaced. The thought of ever having to do this again caused him great pain. Carlisle recognized his unease and chuckled. "Well, let's just hope she learned her lesson for the time being. I remember you being a rather well behaved young man after our first... discussion."

An embarrassed smile crossed Edwards face and he gave his father a hug. "I love you, Carlisle. You are a great father."

"Thank you, my son" He answered, radiating joy and satisfaction. He never tired of hearing this. "Do you feel a little better now, Edward?"

"Absolutely. I'm really quite relieved we could talk."

"Anytime. You know – if you ever again need some advise on the matters of being a father – don't hesitate to ask. I'm glad to finally have someone I can pass my enormous wisdom on to."

Edward laughed and Carlisle ruffled his hair as they stood up. "I'll keep it in mind. I like to learn from the best. Thank you again, Carlisle."

"You're very welcome, Edward."

With a warm smile Edward left the room, heading back to his own little family.

The End.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading! ^_^ <em>

_I'd be glad to hear what you're thinking... so please review! If you find any spelling errors or something which sounds weird, please let me know as I'm no native English speaker and like to improve my writing._

_P.S.: The more reviews, the higher the probability I write similar stories soon... __Hehe. ^_~_


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